BURNHAM manager Paul Shone admits that some defensive errors cost them in the 4-2 defeat at Virginia Water in midweek, writes Rob Stevens.

The Blues had the opportunity to climb into the top-five in the Hellenic League Premier Division and arrived at Stag Meadow looking to improve on a loss to Binfield last Friday.

Luck was not on their side however as two deflected goals and a penalty kick saw them go into half-time three goals behind.

Shone installs a fighting spirit in all his teams and Burnham got themselves back into the match with goals from Kian Duncan and Dean Quevani, but they conceded a fourth inside the final 10 minutes to suffer back-to-back league defeats.

Shone told the Observer: “It was poor. I was looking for us to bounce back after the defeat at Binfield but to concede two goals in the space of 60 seconds is self-destructive from our point of view.”

“Some poor defensive errors led to the first goal and it took a deflection to go in, and then the second one we dived in to give away a penalty.

“The third goal just before half-time took a deflection on its way through but that’s your luck. Virginia Water took theirs and rightly so took a three-goal lead into half-time.

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“We had a good chance to nick one back right before half-time and that might have had it a bit different going into the second half, but again we had no luck in front of goal.

“We changed a little bit in the second half and got ourselves back into it with two good goals, but then we conceded again and the tie is dead.

“We can’t keep on going behind and expecting to score three of four goals away from home to get a point out of the game.

“We will never give up because we have a fighting character but at times we lacked that little bit of quality in the final third.

“We’re missing a few players in that department but the lads that came in are good enough, but it just didn’t click.

“We had enough time left in the game to get a point when it was 3-2 but to concede within a few minutes deflates you again and you saw that within the lads.

“They didn’t give up and kept on going but it wasn’t to be and fair play to Virginia Water because they rightly deserved the three points.”

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The defeat means Burnham remain in sixth position in the table and two points behind Shrivenham in fifth ahead of a short trip to rivals Holmer Green in the all-Bucks derby this Saturday (3pm).

Shone commented: “Hopefully we will get some people back for Saturday but we’re missing our final-third players which doesn’t help.

“The lads that have been sat waiting came in and did alright. They’re not the calibre of players that are used to playing for us but they are young and have got to learn. We’ve all got to start somewhere.

“Hopefully we will get one or two back for Saturday and go to Holmer Green to turn the corner and get on a little run again.”